Sudbury: Three GP surgeries to move to new facility

Three GP surgeries in Sudbury will move to a brand new facility

Three GP surgeries are due to move into one new facility after plans were approved by councillors.

Hardwicke House, Meadow Lane and Great Cornard surgeries in Sudbury will move to a new unit on lorry park land off Station Road close to Waitrose in the Suffolk town.

It will include clinical and treatment rooms, a minor surgery theatre, pharmacy and an area for training.

Babergh district councillor Sue Ayres said the site was desperately needed.

"Anyone who goes to Hardwicke House knows there is barely any parking," she said.

"The facilities we have lost in Sudbury we would have back. I think it would be ideal."

The two and three storey facility will be built on the lorry park and the public car park will become the surgery car park

All three surgeries come under the umbrella of the Hardwicke House Group Practice, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Dr Jamie Gilmour, practice partner, said: "Getting the green light for a purpose-built health centre future-proofs our ability to offer more services from a wider range of clinicians to a growing and ageing population, and means we can attract the next generation of doctors and nurses into the profession by being a training practice."

Concerns were raised by Great Cornard councillor Peter Beer over provision for patients currently at that practice, as many would need to drive to the new surgery which could have an impact on traffic levels through the town.

"I understand it will be a benefit and there will be more facilities available, but it will be to the cost of people in Great Cornard," he said.